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Patented June 26, 1883.,

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' 0 772m 01 BY I/ OAMM ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM O. MORFORD, OF PORT CHESTER, NEW YORK.

FIRE-ESCAPE CABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,065, dated June 26, 1883.

Application filed Janna-5'20, 1883. No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM O. MoRFoRn, of Port Chester, in the county of WVest-chester and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape Cable, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figures 1 and 3 are detailed perspective views, showing different methods of constructing my new and improved fire-escape cable; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view, showing the manner of attaching the cable to a building ready for use.

The fire-escape cable A is composed of the rope a, preferably of wire, and the outer covering or cushion, b, of soft rubber, and is adapted to be attached to the wall of the building by the staple e or other suitable means between the windows of the building, as shown in Fig. 2.

In the form of cable shown in Fig. 3 the outer casing or cushion, I), is a continuous tube .of soft rubber drawn snugly upon the rope a,

while in Fig. l the covering or cushion is composed of a strip of soft rubber wrapped spirally around the rope, with overlapping edges, which form 'the spiral stop ridges or ribs \Vhere the edges of the strip of rubber overlap in wrapping the rope a rubber or other suitable cement Will be applied to the covering for cementing the layers together, thus forming practically a continuous covering or cushion. In both cases the wrapping or covering of soft rubber will be of such thickness as not only to furnish 'a-protection for the hands in grasping the cable, but a cushion into which the hands will inibed themselves with but a slight grip, thus furnishing a firm and safe hold upon the cable with the outlay of but little strength, without cutting, burning, or otherwise injuring the hands, as would be the case with a naked rope.

M In the spirally-wrapped form of cable the folds of the strip of rubber also furnish easy hand-grasps, f, and the ribs or ridges 0 thereof serve to prevent all danger of the hands slipping upon the cable. Besides these advantages of firm hand-grasps upon the cable, the soft rubber cushion will enable the person descending to cling with his limbs to the cable, so as to cause a considerable friction between his clothing and the rubber covering, and thus diminish to a great extent the amount of strength required in the hands to effect a safe and easy descent, which could not be done with a bare rope.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As a new article of manufacture, the fireescape cable herein shown and described, consisting of the rope a and the outer cushion, I), of soft rubber, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The fire-escape cable A, composed of the wire rope a and the outer cushion, I, of soft rubber, wrapped spirally around the rope a, forming hand-graspsf, and the spiral ridges or ribs 0, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, with the inner rope, a, of the outer cushion, I), of soft rubber, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, with the central rope, of two separate coverings, one of which is wound spirally, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

ABRAHAM O. MORFORD.

Witnesses:

EDGAR TATE, EDW'ARD M. CLARK. 

